Author’s note: This is the final installment of the series I wrote detailing a half-day in the woods while bowhunting for deer. As I mentioned previously, I have already had a successful season, taking a 2 ½ year-old doe during late October. I’ll be out looking for a eight-point or better buck during the rifle hunting portion of this season (Nov. 15-30), and if I don't fill my remaining tag then, I’ll spend more time bowhunting until the archery season closes at the end of December.
I’ll see you tomorrow with a new blog.
PREDATOR AND PREY
The third deer in the group was hanging back while the others began browsing. It was small, and did not have the somewhat “sleek” look of a healthy deer during the autumn season. As it maneuvered closer I saw that it had recently been attacked by coyotes or wolves. Perhaps a mountain lion or one of the local black bears. Its sides were raked heavily as if by claws, the lower jaw was broken, and its tongue protruded out of its mouth sideways from the right side. Once in a while, deer survive an attack from these predators, and make an escape. The injuries could also have been caused by a vehicle, but we were so far away from the nearest road that I did not think this was the case. Even then, the closest roads are dirt and quite rutted. Twenty miles per hour is about top speed.
I decided to kill this deer if I could. I watched it try to eat with the others, but it could not bite effectively. It stayed out on the fringe of the group, and when it got closer the others would drive it away. Unfortunately (I guess) the injured deer walked away toward the east, and I had no opportunity to get a clear shot. That’s just the way it is when hunting with a bow.
10:05 a.m.: A buck fawn comes in from the northeast.
10:07 a.m.: A 2 ½ year old doe joins the small buck from the same direction. This animal is very sleek and in prime condition. She browses a little on the hill but acts more cautious than any of the other deer I have seen here. Looking in many directions, stopping frequently to swivel her ears all around, and circling to try to scent-check, it is going to take some luck to catch this one in position for a shot. It just does not happen. She moves off to the west and out of range before any chance comes up.
I have seen this deer pay close attention to something southeast of my spot while she was in my sight. Again, I’m hoping the buck I suspect is skulking around is what this doe is reacting to. Normally when deer circle some spot it is because they are trying to get downwind of something they want to scent check. Today has generally been calm so this strategy is not working well for them.
11:10 a.m.: I see some movement northwest of the stand, and assume it is deer. I use a soft doe bleat followed by a higher pitched fawn call to try to pull these animals in closer, but it doesn’t seem to work.
In the end, I stayed until about noon, but saw no more deer close enough to get a good look at. I took advantage of the lull in activity to climb down from my stand and quietly slip out of the woods. I have lots more time to hunt and I really enjoy being out in the woods in the generally warmer weather this October hunt took place in.
I saw more deer than usual today. I’ve spent many other half-day hunts in a tree when all the activity I watched consisted of birds, squirrels, rabbits, ravens, and other natural sights but no deer. When I go out into the woods I just never know what forest drama might play out. That sense of anticipation keeps things interesting
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Showing posts with label bowhunting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bowhunting. Show all posts
Monday, November 3, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
CLIMBING TREES
Author’s Note: This is part three of the series I started earlier this week. Once again today, I am busy making summer sausage and bratwurst from the deer I killed last Saturday. The hamburger I ground yesterday is vacuum-packed and in the freezer after having been mixed 50/50 with beef. The seasonings Duane and I mixed yesterday for the brats and sausage has been mixed with the remainder of the ground venison and pork. That mix sat overnight in a refrigerator out in the garage and will be stuffed today.
In any case, all the work we have done since taking the two deer we got is a big part of the responsibility a hunters takes when going afield. We use the meat and enjoy each meal made with it. In January and February of 2009 we will be out ice fishing and carving off chunks of the sausage we made this fall as a snack. No doubt we’ll remember the details of this successful hunt while out chasing perch across the big weedflats on nearby Little Bay de Noc. For us, the hunt is so much more than just the kill.
I hope you enjoy this part of the series.
CLIMB CAREFULLY
7:20 a.m.: I slowly climb the spruce I’ll hunt from, one careful step at a time, branch by branch. It is just about like going up a ladder, except I use branches rather than steps. My bow is tied to a pull-up line while I ascend toward the small seated platform I hunt from. I always secure a “three-point hold” tactic while climbing. That means I have at least two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand firmly planted before moving up to the next branch. On a spruce, the branches are strong and grow out at a right angle to the trunk so they are great climbing trees.
Once I get up to the platform, I ease into place and fold the small seat down while making sure my safety strap is in place. The entire device is small, measuring about eighteen inches wide by twenty-four inches long. The small padded seat is just large enough to sit on, and it is comfortable enough for a five hour hunt or more.
I have a small backpack that I hang on a branch next to me. It is filled with stuff like deer calls, binoculars, a bottle of water, a package of granola, a small notebook, an extra wool cap, and a dozen other things that make the hunt more comfortable. I don’t have a cell phone because they don’t work up here anyway.
I pull my bow up using the cord I leave attached to the tree, and nock an arrow, check the mechanical release strapped to my right wrist, and lay the bow across my lap, ready to use. It is still too dark to see much, but I lean back and relax as I try to tune in to the sounds natural to the forest. Legal shooting time starts thirty minutes before sunrise, so I simply check my pocket watch to see how much time I have.
7:30 a.m.: I slowly reach for the adjustable tone deer call I have hung next to me where it is easily accessible. Deer use many sounds in the woods, the most common being a sort of raspy “urp” vocalization and this is what I’ll use to send out a message saying “hey! I’m over here” in deer language. Older bucks have a deep tone, mature does have a kind of medium tone, and fawns give out a thin, somewhat reedy call that can even sound bird-like at times. I’ll use what is called a “doe bleat” just to try to communicate the message that there are deer here on Birch Hill and everything is clear and safe.
Just after getting settled in, I removed a quart-sized resealable storage bag (like a sandwich bag) full of dried corn from the backpack. I fling several handfuls out in front of my stand to attract bluejays and squirrels to this spot. There are several reasons for doing this. First off, the presence of other wildlife is somewhat reassuring to deer. They may be more likely to pass near my stand if they think the birds feel safe enough to be there. Secondly, jays and squirrels are among the noisiest of woodland creatures. The distracting sounds they make, help mask any noise I make while trying to get in position for a shot. Finally, the longer I watch jays feeding, the more I have come to believe that deer actually swing by to check out what the jays have found to feed on. Anyway watching squirrels and jays squabble over the few corn kernels I toss out is entertaining.
BUCK PASSER
7:45 a.m.: I hear a single deep-toned grunt from just east of my tree and not far away. I’m fairly certain it is the sound of a buck and I hope to see it pass by. I go on “high alert” straining to hear footfalls, the buck rubbing antlers on trees, any other deer calls, breaking branches, or the common “snort” deer make when alarmed.
Weather is quite comfortable now with temperatures about 40 degrees, an overcast sky, and no wind to chill me. If I had a choice though, I prefer a mild breeze. That rattles branches, creating movement which helps hide the movement I make while drawing my bow, and the wind increases the sound level which also helps conceal any sound I may make while moving into position. Conditions are too calm today.
Incidentally, getting into position means very slowly standing up and drawing my bow – however there are plenty of times when I’m already standing because I know a deer is approaching or because it is a day when they are very active and have been passing by frequently. I didn’t know it at this time, but today was going to be a day when I was standing with bow in hand for about three and one-half hours out of a four and one-half hour hunt.
Stay tuned for part 4 tomorrow!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
In any case, all the work we have done since taking the two deer we got is a big part of the responsibility a hunters takes when going afield. We use the meat and enjoy each meal made with it. In January and February of 2009 we will be out ice fishing and carving off chunks of the sausage we made this fall as a snack. No doubt we’ll remember the details of this successful hunt while out chasing perch across the big weedflats on nearby Little Bay de Noc. For us, the hunt is so much more than just the kill.
I hope you enjoy this part of the series.
CLIMB CAREFULLY
7:20 a.m.: I slowly climb the spruce I’ll hunt from, one careful step at a time, branch by branch. It is just about like going up a ladder, except I use branches rather than steps. My bow is tied to a pull-up line while I ascend toward the small seated platform I hunt from. I always secure a “three-point hold” tactic while climbing. That means I have at least two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand firmly planted before moving up to the next branch. On a spruce, the branches are strong and grow out at a right angle to the trunk so they are great climbing trees.
Once I get up to the platform, I ease into place and fold the small seat down while making sure my safety strap is in place. The entire device is small, measuring about eighteen inches wide by twenty-four inches long. The small padded seat is just large enough to sit on, and it is comfortable enough for a five hour hunt or more.
I have a small backpack that I hang on a branch next to me. It is filled with stuff like deer calls, binoculars, a bottle of water, a package of granola, a small notebook, an extra wool cap, and a dozen other things that make the hunt more comfortable. I don’t have a cell phone because they don’t work up here anyway.
I pull my bow up using the cord I leave attached to the tree, and nock an arrow, check the mechanical release strapped to my right wrist, and lay the bow across my lap, ready to use. It is still too dark to see much, but I lean back and relax as I try to tune in to the sounds natural to the forest. Legal shooting time starts thirty minutes before sunrise, so I simply check my pocket watch to see how much time I have.
7:30 a.m.: I slowly reach for the adjustable tone deer call I have hung next to me where it is easily accessible. Deer use many sounds in the woods, the most common being a sort of raspy “urp” vocalization and this is what I’ll use to send out a message saying “hey! I’m over here” in deer language. Older bucks have a deep tone, mature does have a kind of medium tone, and fawns give out a thin, somewhat reedy call that can even sound bird-like at times. I’ll use what is called a “doe bleat” just to try to communicate the message that there are deer here on Birch Hill and everything is clear and safe.
Just after getting settled in, I removed a quart-sized resealable storage bag (like a sandwich bag) full of dried corn from the backpack. I fling several handfuls out in front of my stand to attract bluejays and squirrels to this spot. There are several reasons for doing this. First off, the presence of other wildlife is somewhat reassuring to deer. They may be more likely to pass near my stand if they think the birds feel safe enough to be there. Secondly, jays and squirrels are among the noisiest of woodland creatures. The distracting sounds they make, help mask any noise I make while trying to get in position for a shot. Finally, the longer I watch jays feeding, the more I have come to believe that deer actually swing by to check out what the jays have found to feed on. Anyway watching squirrels and jays squabble over the few corn kernels I toss out is entertaining.
BUCK PASSER
7:45 a.m.: I hear a single deep-toned grunt from just east of my tree and not far away. I’m fairly certain it is the sound of a buck and I hope to see it pass by. I go on “high alert” straining to hear footfalls, the buck rubbing antlers on trees, any other deer calls, breaking branches, or the common “snort” deer make when alarmed.
Weather is quite comfortable now with temperatures about 40 degrees, an overcast sky, and no wind to chill me. If I had a choice though, I prefer a mild breeze. That rattles branches, creating movement which helps hide the movement I make while drawing my bow, and the wind increases the sound level which also helps conceal any sound I may make while moving into position. Conditions are too calm today.
Incidentally, getting into position means very slowly standing up and drawing my bow – however there are plenty of times when I’m already standing because I know a deer is approaching or because it is a day when they are very active and have been passing by frequently. I didn’t know it at this time, but today was going to be a day when I was standing with bow in hand for about three and one-half hours out of a four and one-half hour hunt.
Stay tuned for part 4 tomorrow!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
BEAR TRAILS AND TREESTANDS
Author's note: I have a couple of preliminary observations prior to posting today's blog. First off, this has been a long day (29 October, 2008). Duane Deno and I spent many hours grinding venison, mixing it with pork and beef, adding various spices, packaging it into hamburger, summer sausage, bratwurst, and much more. We will freeze some of this meat, smoke other parts, and simply refrigerate other cuts. We killed these deer, and we will use all the meat we harvested. In the end, it is all worth it. We'll be eating venison well into next year (and we are not done hunting yet).
Secondly, I have to post a complaint against my internet provider, Hughes Satellite. I had to make six attempts to get logged on tonight to post this blog. Each time I went through the same series of steps I normally make, but it continued to come up with different destinations - none of which were the place I needed to be to post a blog. It stinks, but is the only service provider available in my area.
In any case, I'm on now and this is tonight's blog. It is a continuation of yesterday's story about a typical half-day hunt. I hope you enjoy it!
P.S. When Duane and I returned from the day's meat processing at his brother's house, we got the word that his nephew had taken a nice buck today while bowhunting. I also have to note that I have witnessed some early stage rutting activity (pre-rut) here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The bulk of this activity is still one to two weeks away, with the main rut most likely starting after November 10.
Here is the continuation of yesterday's blog:
7:00 a.m. We are well on our way toward the stands we have chosen to hunt for the day. The route takes us to the end of the old, overgrown road, across a ridge planted with red pines that are now eighty feet tall, through a passage past the ruins of an old trapper’s shack, and across another ridge, this one planted with spruce that are now about sixty feet tall apiece. A thick carpet of pine needles covers the ground, making our movements as quiet as the night.
BEAR TRAILS
Once through the spruces, we drop into a thick tag alder maze, following an old bear trail well worn into the dirt. In past years we have had to use thigh-high hip boots to get through some of these parts due to standing water and the resulting muck in the alders. Recently though, things have been much drier and we find no pools of water in this swampy stretch. We don’t use flashlights. Full darkness is more appealing, and lets us slip through the woods with the least disturbance possible.
While crossing the alder maze we come up to a small one-acre rise with a few maples growing on it, cross this higher ground, then drop into low ground again. Another rise comes up after a while, and a big spruce tree on this higher spot marks where we split up, each going on alone to that day’s hunting spot. In 2006 I sat on the ground behind this same spruce tree and bagged a fine eight-point buck on the third day of the rifle hunting season. Today though, Duane and I are hunting with bow and arrow and it is a lot harder.
NAME YOUR TREESTAND
7:15 a.m.: Duane is hunting at a spot we call the “Pocket Stand”. This is a small rise of higher ground surrounded by low ground. A maple so big that you could not even come close to encircling it with your arms, grows here. This old tree has seen pioneers, lumberjacks, hunters, bears, deer, bobcats, and maybe a mountain lion on occasion. Deer trails cross this higher ground, and the deer stop at the old maple in the fall to pick up leaves from the forest floor that the maple drops. Once they have been exposed to a frost the starch in the leaves begins to turn into a sugar and deer eat them. Many times I have seen bright orange, red, and yellow leaves sticking out of deer’s mouths as they amble along.
I am hunting at “Birch Hill”, which is also a small patch of higher ground – maybe two acres – with tag alder swamp surrounding it. My spot also has maples, but most are younger trees. Small shoots of maple that grow from the roots of mature trees extend up out of the ground. Each of these shoots looks like a miniature maple tree, and has full sized leaves growing on the tiny branches. Most are two-feet tall at maximum. Deer show up here to browse on the leaves as well.
Live birch trees grow here along with some cedar, spruce, and hackberry. Dead birch logs lay scattered across this small hill like so many soldiers on a battlefield. Limbs lay entangled and broken, while the new maple shoots find a way to grow up through them. Deer trails cross this place like cow paths through a barnyard. Local bears come through once in a while, but we never see them while hunting. We attach a trail camera to a tree to monitor the worn bear trails though, and get pictures of the big, black bruin. He passes through at odd hours like 2:00 a.m., on his way to whatever bears do during the night. We don’t bother each other, and that relationship works very well, thank you.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Stop by tomorrow for part 3.
Secondly, I have to post a complaint against my internet provider, Hughes Satellite. I had to make six attempts to get logged on tonight to post this blog. Each time I went through the same series of steps I normally make, but it continued to come up with different destinations - none of which were the place I needed to be to post a blog. It stinks, but is the only service provider available in my area.
In any case, I'm on now and this is tonight's blog. It is a continuation of yesterday's story about a typical half-day hunt. I hope you enjoy it!
P.S. When Duane and I returned from the day's meat processing at his brother's house, we got the word that his nephew had taken a nice buck today while bowhunting. I also have to note that I have witnessed some early stage rutting activity (pre-rut) here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The bulk of this activity is still one to two weeks away, with the main rut most likely starting after November 10.
Here is the continuation of yesterday's blog:
7:00 a.m. We are well on our way toward the stands we have chosen to hunt for the day. The route takes us to the end of the old, overgrown road, across a ridge planted with red pines that are now eighty feet tall, through a passage past the ruins of an old trapper’s shack, and across another ridge, this one planted with spruce that are now about sixty feet tall apiece. A thick carpet of pine needles covers the ground, making our movements as quiet as the night.
BEAR TRAILS
Once through the spruces, we drop into a thick tag alder maze, following an old bear trail well worn into the dirt. In past years we have had to use thigh-high hip boots to get through some of these parts due to standing water and the resulting muck in the alders. Recently though, things have been much drier and we find no pools of water in this swampy stretch. We don’t use flashlights. Full darkness is more appealing, and lets us slip through the woods with the least disturbance possible.
While crossing the alder maze we come up to a small one-acre rise with a few maples growing on it, cross this higher ground, then drop into low ground again. Another rise comes up after a while, and a big spruce tree on this higher spot marks where we split up, each going on alone to that day’s hunting spot. In 2006 I sat on the ground behind this same spruce tree and bagged a fine eight-point buck on the third day of the rifle hunting season. Today though, Duane and I are hunting with bow and arrow and it is a lot harder.
NAME YOUR TREESTAND
7:15 a.m.: Duane is hunting at a spot we call the “Pocket Stand”. This is a small rise of higher ground surrounded by low ground. A maple so big that you could not even come close to encircling it with your arms, grows here. This old tree has seen pioneers, lumberjacks, hunters, bears, deer, bobcats, and maybe a mountain lion on occasion. Deer trails cross this higher ground, and the deer stop at the old maple in the fall to pick up leaves from the forest floor that the maple drops. Once they have been exposed to a frost the starch in the leaves begins to turn into a sugar and deer eat them. Many times I have seen bright orange, red, and yellow leaves sticking out of deer’s mouths as they amble along.
I am hunting at “Birch Hill”, which is also a small patch of higher ground – maybe two acres – with tag alder swamp surrounding it. My spot also has maples, but most are younger trees. Small shoots of maple that grow from the roots of mature trees extend up out of the ground. Each of these shoots looks like a miniature maple tree, and has full sized leaves growing on the tiny branches. Most are two-feet tall at maximum. Deer show up here to browse on the leaves as well.
Live birch trees grow here along with some cedar, spruce, and hackberry. Dead birch logs lay scattered across this small hill like so many soldiers on a battlefield. Limbs lay entangled and broken, while the new maple shoots find a way to grow up through them. Deer trails cross this place like cow paths through a barnyard. Local bears come through once in a while, but we never see them while hunting. We attach a trail camera to a tree to monitor the worn bear trails though, and get pictures of the big, black bruin. He passes through at odd hours like 2:00 a.m., on his way to whatever bears do during the night. We don’t bother each other, and that relationship works very well, thank you.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Stop by tomorrow for part 3.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
GUT INSTINCTS AND MORNING COFFEE
Author's Note: In the next few blogs, I'm going to describe a typical half-day bow hunt based on an actual day I recently enjoyed in the woods. The routine described here would take place when I drive to my friend Duane's home and we go to the hunting area from there. In other cases, we would be staying in a camp and hunting near there, or I would be going out alone.
GUT INSTINCTS
Three hours before sunrise: I get up, stretch, and wander out to the screen porch to take a look at the sky. I see no stars and conclude that it is overcast. We do not have television and I don’t watch the Weather Channel. I could fire up my computer to see what the forecast is, but I’m not invested in what they might report. This is hunting in the old way. I’ll go by what my guts say; what the sky looks like; what I might hear on the pre-dawn breeze; and what experience tells me about hunting with a bow and arrow at this time of year.
5:20 a.m.: I’m in the truck, driving toward Duane’s place. I see lots of deer on the ten-mile drive. They seem quite active today. I hope this carries through into the hours I’ll be out in the woods.
MORNING COFFEE
5:30 a.m.: Duane and I have a cup of coffee. We have a long-standing and fundamental disagreement about coffee strength. My preferred recipe is one heaping handful of fresh grounds per person, boil for thirty minutes then throw a horseshoe into the seething cauldron. If the horseshoe sinks, add more coffee. This is called “campfire coffee” or “cowboy coffee” at times.
Duane on the other hand, starts with a full pot of water on Monday, using just three miserly, tiny, teaspoons of grounds. This brews something – certainly not worthy of being called coffee – that one can easily read a newspaper through.
On Tuesday, and each subsequent day, he sprinkles a few additional grains of finely ground coffee on top of the soggy grounds remaining from the previous day. The result is the creation of some unknown heated liquid that he relishes each morning.
PRE-DAWN DEPARTURE
6:15 a.m.: We head out to the woods in my truck. Sunrise is not until just before 8 a.m. and we have a long hike through the woods in the dark so we can be in our stands well before it is light enough to see. Watching the woods come alive on frosty autumn mornings is a treat not many people take advantage of. It is especially enjoyable from a small platform twenty-five feet up a large spruce tree. (Yes, I’m still climbing trees at my age!)
6:40 a.m.: We park on an old logging road adjacent to a large marsh flooded by beavers some years ago. We suit up in camouflage coveralls, gloves, and camo facemasks. After that we spray down with scent-blocking spray from plastic spritz bottles and put on eighteen-inch high rubber boots. Deer have an incredibly well developed sense of smell, and that is the number one thing hunters have to try to defeat if they plan on seeing any animals.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
GUT INSTINCTS
Three hours before sunrise: I get up, stretch, and wander out to the screen porch to take a look at the sky. I see no stars and conclude that it is overcast. We do not have television and I don’t watch the Weather Channel. I could fire up my computer to see what the forecast is, but I’m not invested in what they might report. This is hunting in the old way. I’ll go by what my guts say; what the sky looks like; what I might hear on the pre-dawn breeze; and what experience tells me about hunting with a bow and arrow at this time of year.
5:20 a.m.: I’m in the truck, driving toward Duane’s place. I see lots of deer on the ten-mile drive. They seem quite active today. I hope this carries through into the hours I’ll be out in the woods.
MORNING COFFEE
5:30 a.m.: Duane and I have a cup of coffee. We have a long-standing and fundamental disagreement about coffee strength. My preferred recipe is one heaping handful of fresh grounds per person, boil for thirty minutes then throw a horseshoe into the seething cauldron. If the horseshoe sinks, add more coffee. This is called “campfire coffee” or “cowboy coffee” at times.
Duane on the other hand, starts with a full pot of water on Monday, using just three miserly, tiny, teaspoons of grounds. This brews something – certainly not worthy of being called coffee – that one can easily read a newspaper through.
On Tuesday, and each subsequent day, he sprinkles a few additional grains of finely ground coffee on top of the soggy grounds remaining from the previous day. The result is the creation of some unknown heated liquid that he relishes each morning.
PRE-DAWN DEPARTURE
6:15 a.m.: We head out to the woods in my truck. Sunrise is not until just before 8 a.m. and we have a long hike through the woods in the dark so we can be in our stands well before it is light enough to see. Watching the woods come alive on frosty autumn mornings is a treat not many people take advantage of. It is especially enjoyable from a small platform twenty-five feet up a large spruce tree. (Yes, I’m still climbing trees at my age!)
6:40 a.m.: We park on an old logging road adjacent to a large marsh flooded by beavers some years ago. We suit up in camouflage coveralls, gloves, and camo facemasks. After that we spray down with scent-blocking spray from plastic spritz bottles and put on eighteen-inch high rubber boots. Deer have an incredibly well developed sense of smell, and that is the number one thing hunters have to try to defeat if they plan on seeing any animals.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
BLOWN CHANCES
Author's note: The following account details some experiences I had during a bow hunt in Michigan's Upper Peninsula during 2006. Later that season I bagged a fine eight-point buck with a rifle, but during the bow season I suffered some misfortune. This is an account of the troubles I had while hunting with bow and arrow that year.
I blew chances at two big does on an Upper Peninsula of Michigan bow hunt during 2006. The first was on an old logging road. I heard / watched the deer approach through heavy woods. When she stepped out onto the more open road, I drew my bow and held low thinking she would drop slightly at the sound of the release, to jump away. That is what most of them do, most of the time. If you do not hold low, you tend to hit too high.
Anyway, this one jumped upward, spun around 180 degrees on her hind legs, and ran back the way she came from. My arrow sailed straight under the brisket and stuck in the ground, making a resonant “whump” sound like a solid hit. I climbed down, triple-checked the arrow for hair, blood, or fat, finding nothing. Also, the doe bounded off after the shot without slowing or stumbling. I pronounced the shot a clean miss.
As for the deer reacting to the sound of the shot before it gets there, it is just a matter of physics and how alert or nervous they seem to be. Sound travels over one thousand feet per second, but my arrow is about 225 f.p.s. The sound reaches the deer four times faster than the arrow. Sometimes the deer are not nervous, and they do not react instantly to the sound. Pick a spot on the bottom third of the chest and behind the front leg and you are fine.
At other times they are more alert (having recently encountered a human, smelled something they don't like – such as coyotes - or the weather makes them nervous due to higher winds for example so they can't smell danger as effectively). This day was windy, and the deer were more cautious. Under these conditions I expect the deer to drop a few inches to “load” their legs before leaping ahead. This movement takes just a fraction of a second, but your arrow will hit higher if you do not compensate by aiming a little low.
The second chance came on the last hunt of the last day (why does this last minute stuff happen so frequently)? Anyway, I was in a completely different area. We had seen a ten point buck and two eight-pointers checking does near this spot. I had two very nervous does around my stand, and I hoped they would attract one of the bucks. As it got later in the day, I decided to take one of the does (they had been circling, bedding, and browsing near me for an hour). When the biggest of the two does entered a tiny clearing, I drew my bow and my face mask somehow slid around, partially covering my shooting eye. I could not see through the peep sight. I tried to quietly let the draw back down and straighten the mask, but she caught my movement and spooked.
As for actual chances to take deer on this trip, these were far from the only two chances I had. They were just the two does I decided to draw my bow on. Life-long friend Duane Deno and I saw probably a dozen spikehorn, through six-point bucks in easy range that provided easy kill shots if we had wanted to take them. These smaller bucks are not targeted, because they can turn into larger bucks the following season. We decided however, to take an eight-point buck or better that might pass within range on this hunt. We have learned that any small eight-pointer is shot by the gun hunters in this area as soon as they see it, so it doesn’t do us much good to let them go. Of course, taking a deer with a rifle is usually much easier than with a bow. As I mentioned, we did see some nicer bucks that would have been easy gun shots, but never presented a close enough chance for a bow.
Well... that’s why it is hunting. The animal usually has the advantage and you do the best you can. I have the opportunity to hunt there again through the end of December since archery, gun, and muzzleloader seasons run through all or part of that time frame. I’ll give them a rematch.
Copyright Ray Hansen – 2008
I blew chances at two big does on an Upper Peninsula of Michigan bow hunt during 2006. The first was on an old logging road. I heard / watched the deer approach through heavy woods. When she stepped out onto the more open road, I drew my bow and held low thinking she would drop slightly at the sound of the release, to jump away. That is what most of them do, most of the time. If you do not hold low, you tend to hit too high.
Anyway, this one jumped upward, spun around 180 degrees on her hind legs, and ran back the way she came from. My arrow sailed straight under the brisket and stuck in the ground, making a resonant “whump” sound like a solid hit. I climbed down, triple-checked the arrow for hair, blood, or fat, finding nothing. Also, the doe bounded off after the shot without slowing or stumbling. I pronounced the shot a clean miss.
As for the deer reacting to the sound of the shot before it gets there, it is just a matter of physics and how alert or nervous they seem to be. Sound travels over one thousand feet per second, but my arrow is about 225 f.p.s. The sound reaches the deer four times faster than the arrow. Sometimes the deer are not nervous, and they do not react instantly to the sound. Pick a spot on the bottom third of the chest and behind the front leg and you are fine.
At other times they are more alert (having recently encountered a human, smelled something they don't like – such as coyotes - or the weather makes them nervous due to higher winds for example so they can't smell danger as effectively). This day was windy, and the deer were more cautious. Under these conditions I expect the deer to drop a few inches to “load” their legs before leaping ahead. This movement takes just a fraction of a second, but your arrow will hit higher if you do not compensate by aiming a little low.
The second chance came on the last hunt of the last day (why does this last minute stuff happen so frequently)? Anyway, I was in a completely different area. We had seen a ten point buck and two eight-pointers checking does near this spot. I had two very nervous does around my stand, and I hoped they would attract one of the bucks. As it got later in the day, I decided to take one of the does (they had been circling, bedding, and browsing near me for an hour). When the biggest of the two does entered a tiny clearing, I drew my bow and my face mask somehow slid around, partially covering my shooting eye. I could not see through the peep sight. I tried to quietly let the draw back down and straighten the mask, but she caught my movement and spooked.
As for actual chances to take deer on this trip, these were far from the only two chances I had. They were just the two does I decided to draw my bow on. Life-long friend Duane Deno and I saw probably a dozen spikehorn, through six-point bucks in easy range that provided easy kill shots if we had wanted to take them. These smaller bucks are not targeted, because they can turn into larger bucks the following season. We decided however, to take an eight-point buck or better that might pass within range on this hunt. We have learned that any small eight-pointer is shot by the gun hunters in this area as soon as they see it, so it doesn’t do us much good to let them go. Of course, taking a deer with a rifle is usually much easier than with a bow. As I mentioned, we did see some nicer bucks that would have been easy gun shots, but never presented a close enough chance for a bow.
Well... that’s why it is hunting. The animal usually has the advantage and you do the best you can. I have the opportunity to hunt there again through the end of December since archery, gun, and muzzleloader seasons run through all or part of that time frame. I’ll give them a rematch.
Copyright Ray Hansen – 2008
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